A Place for my Head
by Akuma Ouji
Summary: It's Albus Potter's first year at Hogwarts. He was hoping to get sorted into Gryffindor, but when he gets sorted into Slytherin instead, he's surprised to make a friend - or something more. Albus S./Scorpius


The train ride to Hogwarts was long, and tiring. Albus had fallen asleep when they arrived. He awoke to someone prodding his shoulder. When he opened his bright, green eyes, his brother, James was staring at him. Albus jumped and sat straight up, which made James laugh, "Get up, sleepy head, we're here." He said as he stood.

Albus yawned and stood as well, stretching before following his brother off the train. When they arrived at the gate, Albus couldn't believe how big the school was. His father had told him it was big, but he didn't imagine this. He stopped and looked up at the tall building. It seemed to go on forever. He felt mesmerized by it, so mesmerized he didn't notice his cousin, Rose, standing beside him. "It's so…_big_." She said with amazement.

"Yeah…" Albus agreed. They both continued walking until they got to the Great Hall. It amazed Albus even more. The ceiling was filled with the night sky. Thousands of stars shone over the students as the entered the doors. Albus watched as the upperclassmen took their seats at their house tables. Then a pit of anxiety formed in his stomach. The first year's still had to get sorted into their houses. He wanted any of them but Slytherin. He spotted James sitting down at the Gryffindor table and imagined himself sitting beside him. All of their parents were in Gryffindor, he had to be too.

Albus followed the other first year's to the front of the hall were an old hat was sitting on a stool. One of the professors was standing by it holding a list. Albus took a deep breath as she explained about the houses and how the students were sorted into them. Then she started calling names off the list to come up and get sorted.

"Rose Weasley." She called. Albus' cousin walked briskly up and sat down on the stool. The professor placed the sorting hat on her head and it yelled, "Gryffindor!"

Albus let out a sigh of relief as Rose walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat across from James. If Rose got sorted into Gryffindor, there's no way he couldn't be. He waited impatiently as the hat sorted more students into houses. Finally, the professor called his name. Albus walked slowly and nervously up to the stage and sat down on the stool. The sorting hat was placed on his head and he held his breath.

"Hmm…this one is rather difficult." The sorting hat said. "I think…he'd do best in…Slytherin!"

Albus felt like the air was knocked right out of him. Slytherin? It couldn't be. He stood, emotionless and walked over to the Slytherin house table. He sat away from everyone and put his head down. How could this have happened? How was he anything like a Slytherin? Questions like that ran through his mind. Then he remembered something his father told him before he left for Hogwarts, 'Albus Severus, you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew.'

Albus slowly lifted his head up. He had to be brave. Brave for his father. He turned around in his seat and looked over at his brother, James, and his cousin, Rose sitting at the Gryffindor table. He still wished he was over in Gryffindor. Over with them. Sitting at the same table their parents sat at years before. He felt loneliness build in his chest and he looked down at his feet. He jumped a bit as he felt a cool hand on his shoulder.

"Are you…alright?" a soothing voice said.

He looked up and gazed into a pair of deep, silver eyes. It was a boy about his age. He looked kind of familiar, with shiny, pale blond hair. Albus kept staring up at him and didn't notice the boy was asking him the same question over again. "H-Hm..?" Albus said light headedly.

"I said…are you alright?" the boy repeated again.

"O-Oh…yeah…I'm…f-fine." He answered back. The boy sat down beside him and his blond bangs fell into his eyes. He brushed them back impatiently. "I'm Malfoy." He said, "Scorpius Malfoy."

Albus then remembered why the boy looked so familiar. He has seen him at the train station. "I'm Albus." He stuttered. "Albus Potter."

"Oh, you're Harry Potter's son!" Scorpius said with amazement. "My father told me all about your father."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah! They used to go to school together here. Although…your dad was in Gryffindor, and mine was in Slytherin." He said, looking over at the Gryffindor table. Albus followed his gaze and he spotted James doing some spell that had all the girls in awe. He frowned at his brother. He was more like their father than he could ever be. Scorpius noticed Albus' discomfort and put an arm around his shoulders. "It's alright. Slytherin is just as good as Gryffindor, you'll see." He said with a light grin.

Albus felt his cheeks grow a little red and he looked down to try and hide it, but nodded. He may still feel uncomfortable with being in Slytherin, but at least he found someone he could talk to. As he sat there with Scorpius, the loneliness in his chest seemed to fade away.


End file.
